County To Post Speed Limit Signs After Hearing Concerns

SNOW HILL — A letter from a concerned resident prompted the Worcester County Commissioners this week to post speed limit signs at two previously non-posted roads.

Dated Aug. 6, the letter is from county resident Patricia Bennett and details a series of traffic issues that she and her family have experienced along St. Martin’s Road as well as concerns she has with nearby Carey Road.

“We are requesting a speed limit sign of 25 mph be put at the end of St. Martin’s Road coming off of Rt. 346,” wrote Bennett in her letter to the commission.

Bennett claimed that her mailbox and one belonging to her son have been struck repeatedly by motorists on St. Martin’s Road within the last nine months, the most recent incident happening on Aug. 4, causing her to write the letter.

On Carey Road, cars are traveling 10 to 15 mph over the 50 mph limit after transitioning from St. Martin’s Road, according to Bennett.

“We have a lot of speed issues because the speed limit on Rt. 346 is 50 and when they come off of that road onto St. Martin’s Road, they are doing 50 mph. Now once they turn onto Carey Road the speed seems to hit about 60 or 65 mph. I know this for a fact, because I walk Carey Road almost every night,” she said.

Bennett concluded by restating her desire to see both roads posted as well as having an additional State Police presence in the area to shepherd motorists.

Not long after receiving the letter, the Public Works Department conducted two speed studies. The first study took place Aug. 9 through Aug. 16 on St. Martin’s Road, with a follow-up study on Carey Road from Aug. 16 through Aug. 23.

In the St. Martin’s Road study, the department found that the average speed was 31 mph with 95.2 percent of all traffic traveling under 46 mph. In the Carey Road study, the average speed was found to be 46 mph with 71.7 percent of all traffic traveling below 51 mph. Because neither road was posted, an automatic speed limit of 50 mph was set.

Based on the results of the two surveys, Public Works Director John Tustin recommended keeping Carey Road at 50 mph but posting it to alert drivers. St. Martin’s Road he suggested posting at 30 mph, slightly above Bennett’s suggestion.

The commission agreed unanimously to post both roads at the limits Tustin recommended.

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